Artist Profile at Chamber Music International

Deborah Hoffman - Harp

Deborah Hoffman has been principal harpist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 1986. She is also solo harpist with the Orchestra of St. Lukes in New York City and a former member of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Ms. Hoffman pursues an active international career as both soloist and chamber musician, appearing as soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Jupiter Symphony, the National Symphonies of Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Colombia, Orchestra of St. Lukes, and the MET Orchestra in Carnegie Hall under the baton of James Levine. Chamber music festivals in which she regularly performs include Verbier, La Jolla, Caramoor, Sitka, Saint Nazaire and Aspen. 

Ms. Hoffman was the first prize winner of the 1981 American Harp Society Competition, and in 1978 was a top prizewinner in the Seventh International Harp Competition in Israel. In 1983 she was chosen to represent the United States in a recital at the First World Harp Congress in the Netherlands. 

Ms. Hoffman received both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, where she was a student of Susann McDonald. 

Ms. Hoffman records for Arabesque Records and has recently completed a Grammy-nominated recording of original transcriptions of Chopin works. 

In addition to teaching at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, Ms. Hoffman is chairperson of the harp department at Manhattan School of Music and an artist-faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival and School.